We've lost one of the greats.
Noted journalist/producer/screenwriter DAVID MILLS passed away suddenly yesterday in New Orleans at the age of 48, of a brain aneurysm.Mills is perhaps known best for his work on the Baltimore-set HBO miniseries “The Corner,” which he co-wrote and co-executive produced with David Simon. The six-episode mini earned Mills 2 prime time Emmy awards: Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Mini-Series.
Prior to “The Corner,” Mills had previously worked with Simon once before as a writer on an episode of “Homicide: Life on the Street.” He went on to write a season four episode of “The Wire” (”Soft Eyes”) and later returned to that team as a staff writer for the HBO series’ fifth and final season, a gig that earned him a Writer’s Guild of America nomination for Best Dramatic Series in 2009. He also has series writer and co-executive producer credits on “Treme,” HBO’s David Simon/Eric Overmyer series, which premieres on April 11.
A statement issued by the cable network reads: “HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills. He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon but his brilliant work will live on.”
Mills did some work for noted TV series’ “ER” and “Conviction,” and he developed the NBC miniseries “Kingpin.” He also wrote nine episodes for “NYPD Blue” between 1995 and 1997, a job he landed after writing a letter to The Washington Post in response to comments made by series creator David Milch about the challenges black American writers face in writing for mass audiences. Milch saw the letter and hired Mills.
Prior to his work on the small screen, Mills made a name for himself as a noted journalist. He was a features writer for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times and The Washington Post, and he conducted memorable interviews with Sister Souljah and Public Enemy emcee Professor Griff. He was also known for his love of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic; Mills’ TV work made frequent references to the classic funk outfit and he later went on to collaborate on the book, “George Clinton and P-Funk: An Oral History.”
Mills had been living in New Orleans at the time of his death as part of his work on “Treme.” The 10 episodes set to air for the first season all feature him as a co-executive producer and series writer. The little I’ve seen of the series so far is flawless, a musically-driven companion piece to “The Wire,” only with the focus on post-Katrina New Orleans and the music scene there. Make sure you tune in on April 11 to see for yourself.
We here at The French Quarter Wedding Chapel send our condolences to the Mills’ friends and family during what must be a terribly difficult time.
